Typically the technique for preparation of E-Glass-Epoxy composite material consists of hand polishing with a microcloth covered wheel with a slurry of water and 0.3 micron alumina and then with a microcloth covered wheel in a slurry of water and 0.05 micron alumina. Such preparation procedure does not give enough contrast between the E-Glass fibers and the epoxy matrix for microscopic examination since both materials are translucent.
The method of the preparation in accordance with the present invention provides for a flat, scratch-free, representative sample without overpolishing the fibers and epoxy so that good contrast may be obtained using oblique lighting when using a light optical metallograph for microscopic examination and documentation. Typically, such optical metallographs take pictures with a true magnification of up to 1600.